1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to devices for practicing golf strokes and, more particularly, is concerned with a golf putting practice device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Golf is a popular pastime throughout the world. A golf stroke requires a solid stance, a consistent swing of a golf club and square contact of the golf club with a golf ball. Putting, in particular, also requires the stroke to be compact in that a putter follows a straight path from a starting position through a back swing to a follow through in a forward swing of the putter. Other factors which come into play in a golf stroke include the direction of the ball after it is hit by the club and the contour of a putting surface, such as slopes or breaks in and the texture and level of wetness of the surface. A golfer must practice strokes to achieve the solid stance, consistent swing and square contact, and to develop skill in establishing proper direction and in reading contours.
Various devices have been developed over the years to assist golfers in practicing strokes. Representative examples of these devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,232,623 to Abrams et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,802 to Wright, U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,154 to Bowen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,284 to Montgomery, U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,926 to Owens et al. and U.K. Pat. No. 2,192,797 to Massie. Many of the prior art devices disclose one or more rods or rails providing a guide or line of sight for the golfer. While the prior art devices appear satisfactory in use for the specific purposes for which they were designed, none of the devices alone seem to enable the golfer to practice stance alignment, stroke mechanics, directional guidance and reading surface contours.
Consequently, a need still exists for a device which provides a more comprehensive solution for aiding golfers in practicing strokes.